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Verlen Kruger and Steve Landick came up with the idea of a canoe trip that would surpass all others, and they did it. Paddling their canoes or carrying them on the connecting land passages, they toured North America, from Montana to Manhattan, from New Orleans to the Arctic Ocean, from Baja California to home in Lansing, Michigan.

They mastered wild storms on the ocean, often paddled 75-100 miles or more in a day, shot through deadly rapids going downstream, and paddled up several major rivers, reaching the climax by going up the Grand Canyon. Again and again they were warned, "It can't be done" or "You'll never make it", but each time they rose to the challenge and kept going, finally completing a canoe trip of 28,000 miles that lasted three and a half years and was appropriately named The Ultimate Canoe Challenge. This is the story as Verlen lived it.

Customer Reviews

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Amazon.com:
7 reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

An "Ultimate" readFeb. 27 2005

By
Jose C. Joven
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Paperback

Verlen Kruger was a single minded modern day adventurer. He started paddling at 41 and before he died (On August 2, 2004, at age 82) he had covered over 100,000 miles by canoe, a world record. His last major expedition was celebrating his 80th birthday while paddling 2000 miles down length of the Yukon River with family and friends.

This book details Verlens' "Ultimate Canoe Challenge". He and his new son in law Steve Landick decide to paddle up and down almost every major watershed in North America including the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. They are the only people to paddle UP the Mississipi and up the Colorado river including the Grand Canyon! Three years and innumerable hardships later the job was done. But not without personal and financial costs.

One of Verlens' favorite quotes was, "Happy are they who dream dreams ...and have the courage to make them come true."

Brand Frentz has done an admirable job of telling the tale, the dream and the courage. It is a facinating read and I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy the "ultimate" in anything.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Great book and a great story ...Oct. 22 2005

By
Marek Uliasz
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Paperback

... full of practical informations, especially, if you are plannning long expedition paddling trips.

The entire story is told from the Verlen's perspective. It's a pity that Brand Frentz didn't try to include any views of other participants of the ultimate canoe challenge. A short interviews with Steve Landick and Valerie Fons would be really interesting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

didn't get through itJune 5 2013

By
Joe N. Tousignant
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase

I like reading novels by popular writers like Tom Clancy and Stephen King. I don't have a problem getting through some really long books, but I couldn't get through this book despite the interesting subject matter.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great readDec 30 2012

By
yooper24
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase

Excellent book of an incredible journey. Steve was my math teacher in high school. Truly an incredible guy and paddler.

Diary of a great adventureDec 23 2013

By
John Roberts
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Hardcover
Verified Purchase

Follow two adventurers 28,000 miles, not only the paddling but the portages, fence climbing and other wise getting their canoe and provisions over obstacles along the way. Wish there were more pictures in the book!